Equine design

Fri, Oct 6th 2006, 11:00

A Wolverhampton artist has installed the latest work of public art for Redrow’s Southbank apartments in the city.

Bill Dixon, 72, of The Lindens, designed the elegant sculpture of two horses to evoke the working heritage of the Birmingham Main Canal, which runs right past the Albion Street development.

Bill said: "I wanted to make the piece relevant to its setting, and the area has such a lot of interesting history from which to take inspiration. The canal is a major feature of the area and before the industrial revolution, work horses passing along this stretch of towpath would have been a very common sight."

The ambitious sculpture weighs more than 100 kilogrammes, is twenty feet long and five feet high and is made from anodised mild steel.

Bill said: "I hope it gives the people living here another great focal point and that it makes the development an even more enjoyable and cultural place to live."

Originally trained in mechanical and electrical engineering, Bill spent 40 years in the engineering and commerce industries before taking a Fine Arts degree at Wolverhampton University in 2001.

Southbank has seen the careful refurbishment of an early 19th century flour mill into 11 apartments with contemporary properties built sensitively around the historic Grade II listed Albion Mill. Linda Androlia, sales director for Redrow Homes (West Midlands), said: "Southbank is a development at the cutting edge of Wolverhampton’s regeneration of the Canalside Quarter, and it has transformed a run down industrial area into a vibrant residential part of the city. To be able to add pieces of public art to this new city community really shows that Southbank is part of Wolverhampton’s growing culture and heritage."

Located on Albion Street, alongside the historic Birmingham Main Canal, Southbank is now a striking sight with its landmark butterfly rooftops, canalside walk, and the Mill at its heart. The development is completed but Redrow is actively seeking new sites in and around the city.

Bill’s sculpture is one of three pieces of public artwork commissioned for Southbank under the city’s ‘Percent for Art’ scheme, which encourages developers to set aside a percentage of building costs to commission public art and provide an important focal point for residents. The other two pieces are by Jaqueline Cooley, one a monument marking the entrance to the development and the other a canal distance marker which refers to the site’s history as a flour mill.